School Start Times Could Change

Board Panel Studying Matter

Recommendation Likely In Fall

CANTON — As they begin pondering whether to change school start times, members of the Canton school board want to know what the public thinks of the idea.

A board committee examining the matter will survey parents, teachers and school staff members this month. "We're trying to get a sense of how parents feel about this," board member Leslee Hill said Thursday night.

Canton is the latest district, following West Hartford and Wilton, to grapple with the question. A growing body of research shows that adolescents perform better academically when they sleep later in the morning. However, most high schools start early, often by 7 a.m. By starting high school later, students would arrive more focused and ready to learn, according to several studies.

But critics say there are potent arguments against changing the school schedule, including the havoc it could wreak on sports schedules. Also, starting high school later likely would mean an earlier start time for elementary school students because districts would have to revise bus schedules.

In Connecticut, the Wilton school system pioneered later high school starts several years ago. Officials in Canton have talked with their counterparts in Wilton.

The Canton League of Women Voters first raised the issue last year. After a forum on the subject in April 2007, the board formed the committee to review the matter. "We're looking at all of the research," Superintendent Kevin Case said.

The committee is expected to continue its work during the summer and make its recommendation in the fall, Case said. The board will hold hearings on any proposals before deciding whether to make changes.